Chicken Liver Pâté

Okay, you are either very excited to try this recipe OR you have already exited out of this tab in your browser. Chicken Liver Pâté, Monica? Really??? I know organ meats gross most people out, but it just so happens that I would like to change your mind. When I started eating real food over three years ago, you couldn’t convince me to touch anything but very standard cuts of meat. I would eat chicken breasts and thighs, ground beef and pork, steaks, and that was pretty much it. I didn’t understand nor want to understand that we should utilize the whole animal. After all, it was sacrificed in order to feed and nurture our bodies and our health, correct? Looking back, the amount of livers, bones, hearts, and pieces of cartilage I have thrown away could probably fill an entire dumpster. And that is sad.

Over the years, I have come to realize that eating real food is also about putting the most nutrient-dense foods into our bodies. The most nutritious foods may not always be the most palatable ones, which is why I invite you to put this recipe for Chicken Liver Pâté to the test! Liver? “Why are you cooking liver, Monica? Our livers store toxins, why do you want us to eat toxins?” This is probably why many of you have already existed this page or are sitting there pondering ready for this question to be answered. The liver isn’t actually a storage organ. It’s function is to package, inactivate, and disable toxic substances (some of us are more full o’ toxins than others, much like some animals – like the factory-farmed kind – are more full of toxins than pasture-raised ones). This myth is simply a misunderstanding of the liver’s biological function: while we can certainly say the liver deals with toxins, the disabling and exporting of toxins is entirely different from the storing of toxins.” – Liz Wolfe, NTP and Author of Eat the Yolks

Oh, and one more quote from one of my favorite people in the whole wide world:

“Liver IS, however, rich in fat-soluble vitamins, all the B vitamins, folate, amino acids, and minerals. It’s one of the most nutritious foods on the planet, ounce-for-ounce.” -Liz Wolfe, NTP and Author of Eat the Yolks

So, why aren’t you rushing to your nearest organic foods market, hitting up the farmer’s market, or trying to find some livers online? Beats me. Here are a few resources to help you shop online:

Put the chicken livers into a colander and rinse it in cold water a few times, since they will most likely be bloody. 2-3 rinses through should be enough. Pat dry and set aside.

Take 1 tablespoon from the 1/3 cup of ghee or butter and melt it in a frying pan or cast iron. Then, add in the shallots, minced garlic and bay leaves with a few sprinkles of sea salt and black pepper. Saute for a few minutes until onions become translucent.

Now, add in the chicken livers. Saute these in the mixture for another 4-5 minutes and then add in the parsley/thyme, apple cider vinegar, cumin, and paprika. Use some tongs and continue mixing the livers and cooking them for another 4-5 minutes. You will want all (or at least most) of the vinegar to have evaporated by now.

Now, take out a food processor and transfer the mixture into the processor bowl. Secure the lid and slowly pulse the livers, with the remainder of the ghee/butter-- 1 tablespoon at a time. Then, add in the hard-boiled egg and pulse again. Once it all has been incorporated, pulse the pate until everything is nice and smooth.

You can taste your mixture and add any sea salt or pepper to your taste preference.